Longest-Serving Group Troops in Iraq Denied G.I. Bill

[Lemur]

File this under you gotta be kidding. Minnesota National Guard serves in Iraq for 729 days, 22 months, just shy of two years, the longest deployment of any ground combat unit. Remember, a lot of these guys have jobs and families, or rather, had jobs and families. (The divorce rate among long-deployed units is high, and despite laws to the contrary, many employers will not take back workers who have been absent for almost two years.)

Anyway, they get back from Iraq, only to be informed that they are not eligible for any education benefits under the G.I. Bill. Why? They were deployed in combat for 729 days. According to the law, they needed 730 days to qualify. Absolutely insane. At least the military brass understands how messed up this is. Minnesota National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Olson said the soldiers are "victims of a significant injustice."

National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq War

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (NBC) -- When they came home from Iraq, 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit. The tour lasted 22 months and had been extended as part of President Bush's surge.

1st Lt. Jon Anderson said he never expected to come home to this: A government refusing to pay education benefits he says he should have earned under the GI bill.

"It's pretty much a slap in the face," Anderson said. "I think it was a scheme to save money, personally. I think it was a leadership failure by the senior Washington leadership... once again failing the soldiers."

Anderson's orders, and the orders of 1,161 other Minnesota guard members, were written for 729 days.

Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school.

"Which would be allowing the soldiers an extra $500 to $800 a month," Anderson said.

That money would help him pay for his master's degree in public administration. It would help Anderson's fellow platoon leader, John Hobot, pay for a degree in law enforcement.

"I would assume, and I would hope, that when I get back from a deployment of 22 months, my senior leadership in Washington, the leadership that extended us in the first place, would take care of us once we got home," Hobot said.

Both Hobot and Anderson believe the Pentagon deliberately wrote orders for 729 days instead of 730. Now, six of Minnesota's members of the House of Representatives have asked the Secretary of the Army to look into it -- So have Senators Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman.

Klobuchar said the GI money "shouldn't be tied up in red tape," and Coleman said it's "simply irresponsible to deny education benefits to those soldiers who just completed the longest tour of duty of any unit in Iraq."

Anderson said the soldiers he oversaw in his platoon expected that money to be here when they come home.

"I had 23 guys under my command," Anderson said. "I promised to take care of them. And I'm not going to end taking care of them when this deployment is over, and it's not over until this is solved."

The Army did not respond questions Tuesday afternoon.

Senators Klobuchar and Coleman released a joint statement saying the Army secretary, Pete Geren, is looking into this personally, and they say Geren asked a review board to expedite its review so the matter could be solved by next semester.

Minnesota National Guard spokesman Lt. Col. Kevin Olson said the soldiers are "victims of a significant injustice."

[Xiahou]

People getting screwed by their government because of a technicality? Color me surprised.

Regardless, I think they should make an exception in this case and I suspect their elected representatives will support such a measure. I think this is an "earmark" that no one can get that upset about...

[Martok]

Wow.

Nice catch, Lemur; I hadn't heard about this yet. Unfortunately, I second Xiahou in not being very surprised; in fact, I pretty much expect crap like this from the current administration. I hope Coleman & Klobuchar really light a fire under the Army's ass over this.

[FactionHeir]

Isn't it just convenient how they were recalled exactly 1 day before they would have qualified for this program?

[rotorgun]

This is a standard money saving tactic of the military bean-counters since the days of the Roman Army. I have personally been a victim of this skullduggery when on active duty, and once or twice while I've been in the Army National Guard. Deployed soldiers are often sent home 1 day before the end of some official period designated to recieve some benefit, such as seperation pay, leave, per diem allowances, TDY pay, etc.

It is a cruel way to find out just how much your "leadership" really takes care of you. Believe me when I say, be assured that your duly elected officials are getting evey possible perk and benifit that they can possibly squeeze out of the taxpayers. The person risking life and limb, however.......

Shamefull

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

This is really unpleasant. The GI bill, and the way you treat your ex-servicepeople in general, is something I've always admired about the US, and to see it gotten around in this manner is sickening. I hope these brave men and women get what they're entitled to.